Dr. Catherine Johnson, associate professor of mining and explosives engineering at Missouri S&T, has been named the Robert H. Quenon Associate Professor of Mining Engineering. She will begin serving in this role Thursday, Sept. 1.
“I am honored to receive this title and to be recognized for my work in the field of mining engineering” says Johnson. “Being a leader in the field has always been my goal. The Quenon award enables me to continue this path while working in new research directions.”
Johnson says the award will fund new students and assist them in reaching their academic and professional goals. The award is named for the late Robert H. Quenon, who was president and board chair of Peabody Holding Co. of St. Louis. It was established to attract experienced mining engineers to Missouri S&T.
Johnson joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 2015. Her research focuses on the advancement of blasting practices and technologies, coal-dust explosion suppression, shock physics and blast-induced traumatic brain injury. The University of Missouri System named her a Presidential Engagement Fellow in 2019, and she received an Outstanding Faculty Research Award from Missouri S&T in 2021. Johnson also received a Dean’s Scholar Award from Missouri S&T’s College of Engineering and Computing in 2021.
Johnson earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mining engineering from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and a Ph.D. in mining engineering from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She is a member of the International Society of Explosives Engineers; the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration; and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
About Missouri University of Science and Technology
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of approximately 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. S&T also is home to the Kummer Institute, made possible by a $300 million gift from Fred and June Kummer. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.
